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Fulbright Scholar plans consumer research at MTSU
by Lisa L. Rollins
MTSU recently was selected to serve as the host institution for Dr. Vladimir Ilin, a Fulbright Visiting Scholar for the 2007-2008 academic year.
Ilin, who is a professor of sociology at St. Petersburg State University in Russia, is one of about 800 outstanding foreign faculty and professionals who will teach and do research this year in the United States through the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
"Since there are only four Tennessee universities participating (in the Fulbright program), it is a great honor for MTSU to be hosting a Fulbright Visiting Scholar," said Dr. William Badley, assistant vice provost for academic affairs. "Professor Ilin's visit is a great opportunity for mutual scholarly exchanges."
Ilin, who arrived at MTSU in January, "will be providing occasional lectures on global inequality and conducting research on consumption patterns in the United States" during his visit, which will end in October, said Dr. Ron Aday, interim chairman of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
In addition to his work as a research professor at St. Petersburg, Ilin has authored several books and studied consumption patterns in different parts of the world.
"One of my books is about miners' movement in a very remote Arctic city in Russia," he explained. "I did research (on) labor relations at transport and industrial enterprises in one of regional centers of Northern Russia. My field research on immigration (has) been conducted in Germany. I have been doing the field research of transformation of traditional local communities under influence of global tourism in Nepal, Vietnam and India for the last several years."
Although his research areas focus on varied topics, he added, "they have one common subject--structures of everyday life."
During his stay in Murfreesboro, Ilin said he hopes to conduct research on the typical life of America's consumer society. Related to this, he noted, "I hope to find here people who will help me to better understand this country. I will appreciate if some faculty and students will meet me to have a talk about different aspects of American everyday life."
As for his initial impressions of the MTSU community, Ilin noted that "the most amazing side of local life that impressed me more than anything else are faculty and staff at MTSU. They help me to solve numerous problems that any newcomer meets in (a) new social environment and which are often so difficult for foreigners. They spend so much time and energy helping me to enter into American life with ... a clear understanding of its logic."
The James E. Walker Library and Campus Recreation Center, too, have been a much-welcomed surprise, Ilin observed.
"I am impressed by the rational organization of the university's library," remarked the researcher. "It is a real pleasure to work there ... and the rec center is the best complex of this type (that) I (have) ever seen in the universities of Russia, Europe and America. I think that students of MTSU must be happy to study here."
Founded in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Sen. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program is considered America's flagship international educational exchange program.
Approximately 279,500 "Fulbrighters," 105,400 from the United States and 174,100 from other countries, have participated in the Fulbright Program since its inception.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, please visit http://exchanges.state.gov or call 202-453-8534.
Blown away: Tornadoes wreak havoc on history, too
Professor, students lead efforts to aid devastated area
by Lisa L. Rollins
Dr. Kevin Smith, professor and director of anthropology at MTSU, recently helped organize a benefit yard sale to help raise money for the Wynnewood State Historic Area, which sustained more than $10,000 in damage when a Feb. 5 tornado hit Castalian Springs.
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology has sponsored its summer field schools for anthropology students for 15 years at Wynnewood, Smith said, adding that the entire second floor of the historic home is now gone and its original contents were scattered across the property.
"On the night of Feb. 5, 2008, the community of Castalian Springs suffered the loss of lives and homes and extensive damage to Wynnewood, the historic stagecoach inn managed by the Bledsoe's Lick Historical Association for the past four decades," Smith explained.
"Lee Myers, (the home's) caretaker for 37 years and one of our (field schools') best friends and supporters, weathered the tornado inside Wynnewood, emerging shaken but unharmed," Smith said. "And I and many students remember the times when Lee came to warn us of summer storms on the way--and opened the doors of Wynnewood to shelter us."
Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1973, Smith said Wynnewood and MTSU students and faculty share "a special connection" thanks to the 1994 establishment of a partnership between the Bledsoe's Lick Historical Association and MTSU.
"They needed professional expertise to develop a better understanding of the archaeological treasures of Castalian Springs," Smith explained, "(and) by fate or good fortune, our newly created MTSU archaeology program also needed a community partner to host our first summer archaeology field course."
The pact led to the Bledsoe's Lick Archaeological Project, jointly sponsored by the Bledsoe's Lick Historical Association and MTSU, recalled Smith, who accompanied the first group of nine archaeology students to Bledsoe's Lick for five intensive weeks of study in summer 1995.
Since the initial field school, Smith said, some 250 MTSU students and more than 400 community volunteers have worked side by side at the historic area to better understand and publicize the rich heritage that is well preserved at Castalian Springs.
"We've returned to Castalian Springs eight additional summers, exploring the early Tennessee community of Bledsoe's Fort, the homes of African-American slaves at Wynnewood and the amazing remains of the prehistoric Native American town that dominated the Sumner County landscape around A.D. 1250," he observed.
"Over the years, our partners have provided us with equipment, supplies, housing and space for rainy days in the lab washing artifacts, Popsicles on steamy summer days and anything else we needed," Smith continued. "But perhaps more importantly, they have shared with us their stories, memories and love of their community. Year after year, they have opened their homes and their hearts to us, and for many of us, they have provided a role model for what a small group of committed citizen volunteers can do to preserve the historical and archaeological resources of their community."
Although "the lives lost and homes destroyed will always be the most important story of the night of Feb. 5, 2008, in Castalian Springs, Tenn.," Smith said, it also is important to try to help those who have helped MTSU and its students and faculty over the years.
"Successful partnerships are not always simply about achieving a single shared task or goal," the archaeology professor observed. "The best partnerships are about building relationships that last beyond the task at hand ....
"Many of us will join with their efforts to preserve and restore Wynnewood for the benefit of future generations," Smith said.
QUICK CHANGES--Historic Wynnewood in Sumner County is shown in the top photo after a Feb. 5 tornado destroyed its second floor and ravaged the grounds. The photo above was taken in 2001 during ongoing MTSU anthropology field schools.
photos courtesy Dr. Kevin Smith PDF-page 1
Veteran newsman Chris Clark is latest Seigenthaler chair
from Staff Reports
Award-winning broadcast journalist Chris Clark has been named chair holder of MTSU's John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies, announced Beverly Keel, director of the program.
Clark, who was the longest-tenured anchor in the Nashville market, retired from WTVF in 2007 after 41 years behind the desk. During his four decades at the CBS affiliate, he was a champion of First Amendment rights and open government.
"Chris Clark is a distinguished Nashville journalist with a national reputation who has had a career-long commitment to First Amendment rights and values," said John Seigenthaler, for whom the Chair is named.
"His presence in the Seigenthaler Chair at MTSU will be of special interest to students who see a merger of broadcast, online and print journalism as an exciting pathway to their own careers," Seigenthaler said.
Clark noted that "John Seigenthaler, as editor and publisher of The Tennessean, and I, as news director of WTVF, have joined forces on numerous occasions to fight government efforts to circumvent the people's full and free access to information. On numerous occasions, these efforts have taken us to court, and in almost all instances, our efforts were successful in defending First Amendment access for our readers and viewers.
"John has been a tireless fighter in defense of the First Amendment. His enthusiasm and leadership in this cause has inspired journalists throughout the country. I consider my appointment as a Seigenthaler Scholar the highlight of my career. What better way can a journalist contribute to the future defense of the First Amendment than to pass along John's legacy?"
As the Seigenthaler Scholar, Clark will teach courses in electronic media communication, deliver public lectures and conduct research.
"Being a Seigenthaler Scholar will also give me the opportunity to study some of the issues that are of concern to journalists and the public at large," Clark said.
Clark graduated from the University of Georgia's School of Journalism and began his career in Atlanta before making the move to Nashville. His reporting took him worldwide for stories in Somalia, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, Israel and the Dominican Republic.
His career highlights include being summoned by former Tennessee Gov. Buford Ellington to mediate the release of hostages held by a state penitentiary inmate. As news director, he led the station's conversion from film to electronic coverage. As chair of the Society of Professional Journalists' Freedom of Information Committee, he played a key role in convincing the Tennessee Supreme Court to allow an experiment that ultimately led to cameras in state courts.
Previous distinguished chair holders include Wallace Westfeldt, former producer for NBC and ABC News; Bill Kovach, former editor of The New York Times and curator of the Nieman Fellowships at Harvard; Tom Wicker, former columnist for The New York Times; John Henry Faulk, humorist and popular CBS radio personality blacklisted during the Red Scare and a hero of free-expression rights; and Jim Squires, former editor of the Chicago Tribune.
The John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies was instituted in 1986 to honor Seigenthaler's lifelong commitment to free expression values.
The purpose of the Chair is to provide programs of excellence centering on the First Amendment's protection of free-press and free-speech rights for MTSU's College of Mass Communication. The Chair funds a variety of activities, including distinguished visiting professors of First Amendment studies, visiting lecturers addressing issues of freedom of speech and press, research related to free expression and seminars and meetings dedicated to expressive freedom.
In Brief
UNITED TO AID UNION
MTSU's Student Government Association is collecting school supplies through Friday, Feb. 29, to help students at Union University in Jackson recover from the Feb. 5 tornadoes. Drop-off areas are designated at Phillips Bookstore on-campus and Blue Raider Bookstore on Greenland Drive. For more information, contact SGA President Chassen M. Haynes at 615-898-2464 or sgapres@mtsu.edu.
FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE
The Public Service Committee is seeking names of faculty and staff who have performed outstanding public service for the university to be recognized by the MTSU Foundation with one of four annual Outstanding Public Service Awards. More information, including nomination forms, is available at www.mtsu.edu/learn/public/award_cedl.shtml.
MTSU celebrating Entrepreneurship Week
from Staff Reports
Join MTSU in celebrating National Entrepreneurship Week Feb. 23-March 1 to support the goals and ideals of entrepreneurship.
The weeklong effort is targeting creativity, imagination and innovation of entrepreneurship in all its forms--business start-ups, social entrepreneurship and enterprising employees within existing organizations. It also will help the education community and business leaders engage in a ongoing discussion about the power of entrepreneurship to drive the local and national economy.
MTSU's events will celebrate entrepreneurship education through a variety of entrepreneurial activities and experiences to help "prepare today's youth to be the entrepreneurial leaders of the future," said Dr. Robert J. Lahm, assistant professor of business communication and entrepreneurship and coordinator of the week's events.
"We'll highlight the need to provide rigorous and relevant education and involve students of all ages to be a part of the celebration. Our outreach efforts are meant to convey the benefits of entrepreneurship as well as information about the skills, knowledge and attitude needed to be successful."
The Entrepreneurship Week 2008 agenda follows. All events are open to MTSU students and the public. On-campus events, as well as off-campus events with a variety of community partners, will be conducted as noted. For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~eweek.
Monday, Feb. 25 On-Campus Events:
• 10:20-11:15 a.m., Business and Aerospace S324: "Owning Your Own Accounting Firm and Setting Up Your Business for Financial Success," Randall Matlock, CPA.
• 12:40-2:05 p.m., BAS S324: "Funding and Growing a Nonprofit Camp for Grandchildren and Grandparents," Marti Carrelli-Gilbert of Grandma's Camp.
• 2:20-3:45 p.m., BAS S324: "Turning an Artisan Desire into an Internationally Successful Business," cabinetmaker Alfred Sharp.
• 5-5:45 p.m., BAS S315: "Bottle Bill Means Business: The Economic Benefits of a Social Entrepreneurship Initiative in the Recycling Industry," Dr. Marge Davis, coordinator of the Pride of Place/Tennessee Bottle Bill Project.
• 6-6:45 p.m., BAS S315: "Finding Balance as an Entrepreneur," musician Kate Taylor Butler.
Monday, Feb. 25 Off-Campus Events:
• 10-11 a.m., "Beating the Odds: Four Generations in Business," Mullins Jewelers, 19 Public Square, Murfreesboro.
• 2-3 p.m., "Business Insurance 101," Celeste Middleton of State Farm Insurance, 803 N. Thompson Lane, Suite B102, Murfreesboro.
• 3-4 p.m., "Getting Into the Music Industry/Music Productions," Lorenzo M. Spikes of Dog Lab Records and Eclipse Artist Management Group, 610 W. College St., Suite 150, Murfreesboro.
Tuesday, Feb. 26 On-Campus Events:
• 8-9:25 a.m., BAS S324: "Starting a Home-Based Business," Rose Marie Shipley.
• 9:40-11:05 a.m., BAS S324: "Predicting the Future by Inventing It," Jon D. Jaques, CPA.
• 11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m., BAS S324: "Capturing Insights from 153 Years of Entrepreneurial Experience at The Southwestern Company," Vice President of Business Development Dan Moore.
• 1-2:25 p.m., BAS S130A: "My Entrepreneurial Journey: From Real Estate to Franchising to Real Estate," Citylife Group President Rhett Smith.
• 2:40-3:05 p.m., BAS S130A: "A Young Entrepreneur's Story: Building a Successful Women's Boutique," Lona Dunn of Anastasia's.
• 2:40-4:05 p.m., BAS S324: Business Card Competition (open to all students) with an introductory presentation, "Integrating Old and New Media," by contest judge Christian Hidalgo, owner/art director of Navigation Advertising.
Tuesday, Feb. 26 Off-Campus Events:
• 10-11 a.m., "Entrepreneurship in the Health Care Sector," W. Shane Reeves of Reeves-Sain Drug Store, 1801 Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro.
• 10-11 a.m., "Operating A Family-Owned Business: Radio Station," Scott Walker of WGNS Radio, 306 S. Church St., Murfreesboro.
• 11 a.m.-noon, "Executive Flexibility in a Small Business," Roy Baudoin of Smyrna Bowling Center, 95 Weakley Lane, Smyrna.
• 1-2 p.m., "Purchasing and Growing a Bed and Breakfast," Julie and David Becker of Byrn-Roberts Inn, 346 E. Main St., Murfreesboro.
• 3-4 p.m., "Services Available at the Tennessee Small Business Development Center," Bud Klika, Chamber of Commerce Building, 501 Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro.
Wednesday, Feb. 27:
• 9:10-10:05 a.m., BAS S324: "Better to Be Lucky Than Smart," Jim Gilmore of Audio Productions.
• 10:20-11:15 a.m., BAS S324: "Owning and Managing a Full-Service Advertising Agency," Dawn Jones of Jones Media.
• 2:20-3:45 p.m., BAS S343: "Strategic Planning-Map to Success," Roy Baudoin.
4:30-5:30 p.m., BAS S324: "Zoning and Planning Issues: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know," Murfreesboro planner Matthew Blomeley.
Thursday, Feb. 28:
• 9:40-10:05 a.m., BAS S324: "An Entrepreneurship Graduate's Success Story," Abby Maxwell Dodson of Larry Maxwell Inc.
• 11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m., BAS S324: "Focusing on the Right Actions at the Right Time," Bijoy Goswami of Aviri Inc. and Bootstrap Network.
• 1-2:25 p.m., BAS S130A: "Insurance Needs of Small Businesses," Dr. Ken Hollman, MTSU Martin Chair of Insurance.
• 2:40:4:05 p.m., BAS S324: Elevator Pitch Competition (open to all students), judged by Kissy Black of Lotos Nile.
Friday, Feb. 29:
• 8-8:55 p.m., BAS S343: "Getting Into the Music Industry/Music Promotions," Lorenzo M. Spikes of Dog Lab Records and Eclipse Artist Management Group.
• 9:10-10:05 a.m., BAS S324: "It All Boils Down to Where You've Been, Where You Are and Where You're Going," Chad Hill of Regions Bank.
• 10:30-11:30 a.m., BAS S102: "Fostering Innovation and Collaboration Across the Campus," Bijoy Goswami of Aviri Inc.
• 81-4 p.m., BAS S102: Friday Finale/ Entrepreneurship Speaker Series with Pam Wright of Wright Travel, Ronnie Barrett of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing and Bijoy Goswami.
Campus leaders invited to B.O.L.T. overnight retreat
B.O.L.T. (Bettering our Leaders for Tomorrow) is inviting faculty and staff to encourage students to attend an intensive student-led leadership retreat.
The Blue Raider Leadership Summit, an overnight retreat at the Manchester Convention Center that will be conducted March 14-15, is an educational opportunity for students to learn about the principles and techniques of effective leadership, as well as network with other students.
Registration fee is $20 per person, which includes transportation, all meals and conference materials.
Registration forms are available at www.mtsu.edu/~mtleader. Follow the link at the site for conferences.
More information is available at the same Web site or by calling 615-898-5786. Interested students and/or faculty and staff also may stop by the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership office in Room 306 of the Keathley University Center.
Wind Ensemble to perform at band directors' meeting
from Staff Reports
The MTSU Wind Ensemble was selected through a blind audition process to perform in a premiere concert time slot at the Southern Division College Band Directors National Association conference in Columbus, Ga., at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 29, in the Schwob School of Music Legacy Hall at Columbus State University.
The Southern Division is one of five regions of CBDNA and encompasses all universities in the southeastern United States.
"This is probably the most important performance invitation any student ensemble has had in the history of the MTSU School of Music," said Dr. Reed Thomas, conductor of the group and director of bands at MTSU.
According to Thomas, approximately 25 college bands from the entire southeastern United States submitted live performance recordings and were blindly selected by a jury before being nominated for performance. Out of those 25 bands, five were selected to perform at the three-day conference, and the MTSU Wind Ensemble received the "finale" spot on Friday.
"The invitation ... to perform at the premiere concert time for these national organizations is a recognition of the artistic maturity of the student musicians and programs in the School of Music," said Dr. George T. Riordan, director of the MTSU School of Music. "(It is) an honor that MTSU now shares with some of the most honored bands throughout the nation."
In addition to the university band directors who will be in attendance, the National Band Association will hold its biannual national convention at the same time, and high-school band directors from across the nation also will be in attendance.
"We are looking forward to representing the MTSU School of Music at this regional and national conference and letting many musicians know about some of the great things happening here at MTSU," Thomas said of the national exposure for his group.
Thomas said the MTSU Wind Ensemble will be performing several new works, including Robert Bradshaw's new "Concerto for Trumpet," premiered earlier this year by the Wind Ensemble with soloist and MTSU trumpet professor Michael Arndt; three movements of Shafer Mahoney's "Symphony in E-flat"; a chamber winds piece by David R. Gillingham; Schumann's "Credendum (Declaration)"; and Hudson Nogueura's Brazilian piece "Senzalas, Maracatus, e Quilombos."
There will be a pre-tour Wind Ensemble concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25, in the Hinton Music Hall in the Wright Music Building.
The group also will perform for Siegel High School band students on Tuesday, Feb. 26. The ensemble will depart for Atlanta Feb. 28 and perform for Lassiter High School before arriving in Columbus for their Friday evening performance.
Nontraditional students to gather for national conference
by Gina K. Logue
"Choosing to Thrive, No Matter What" is the theme of the 2008 Association of Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education Conference, for which MTSU will serve as host Feb. 29-March 2.
A gathering of adult students who are striving to balance the responsibilities of work and family life while enriching their education and the career academics who serve them, the ANTSHE conference will give students and professionals a chance to come together and share strategies.
"The board of ANTSHE is half students, half professionals," says Dr. Carol Ann Baily, director of Off-Campus Student Services and a founder of the organization. "The annual conference is designed to have programs that will be good for the professionals as well as good for the students."
Dr. Cara DiMarco, a licensed psychologist and counselor at Lane Community College's Transition for Success Program in Eugene, Ore., will deliver the keynote address at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 29, in the Heartland Ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel in Murfreesboro.
DiMarco also will facilitate an opening session and a wrap-up session on Saturday.
Throughout the conference, DiMarco will lead participants in identifying and claiming factors that stimulate and support an ability to thrive through her "Big Yes" model.
DiMarco is the author of "Moving Through Life Transitions with Power and Purpose" and "Career Transitions: A Journey of Survival and Growth." Her third book, "Inconvenient Women: Choosing to Thrive No Matter What," is slated for release in mid-2008.
On Saturday, the venue will shift from the DoubleTree Hotel to the James Union Building on the MTSU campus. Topic for breakout sessions include "All the World's a Classroom," "Conflict Resolution Skills," "Building Collaboration Skills," "Counteracting Learned Helplessness in the Classroom" and "What Can I Do With This Degree? How Institutions Can Assess the Effectiveness of a Nontraditional Degree Program."
For more information, call 615-898-5989, send an e-mail to the Older Wiser Learners student group at owls@mtsu.edu, or visit www.antshe.org.
Honoring excellence: Dr. Marva Lucas receives Pleas Award
AWARD WINNER--Dr. Connie Jones, left, chair of MTSU's Department of Elementary and Special Education, presents the 2008 John Pleas Faculty Recognition Award to Dr. Marva Lucas, director of academic enrichment and associate professor of mathematical sciences. The award, named for psychology professor Dr. John Pleas, is presented to a minority faculty member at MTSU who has set a standard of excellence and contributed in significant ways to the university and community. Lucas, current president of the Tennessee Association for Developmental Education, has worked at MTSU since 1997.
photo by Andy Heidt PDF-page 3
MTSU CIM program cements status
by Randy Weiler
A recent auction held during the 33rd annual World of Concrete in Las Vegas raised between $500,000 and $600,000 for four Concrete Industry Management programs, including MTSU's program, CIM Director Heather Brown said.
Auction items were valued at $800,000, she said. The items included a truck valued at $150,000 donated by McNeilus Truck Co. and International.
"The buyer got it for $138,000, so they got it for a deal," Brown said.
Auction items included sports memorabilia; NASCAR, NFL and NHL tickets; golf school and vacation packages; concrete industry-related items and much more, she said.
The money raised from the auctions will benefit the CIM National Steering Committee and support the CIM programs at MTSU, Arizona State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, California State University-Chico, as well as help fund future program expansion, according to the alliance's Web site, www.concretedegree.com.
MTSU helped the other schools start CIM programs and will work with Texas State University in San Marcos as it begins its program, Brown said.
The Jan. 20-25 World of Concrete drew 125,000 people, she said, adding that the Las Vegas Convention Center has 900,000 square feet of exhibit space.
"That's the only city that can handle it," Brown said.
Twenty-four MTSU students joined Brown, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Tom Cheatham and Dr. Walter Boles, chairman of the engineering technology and industrial studies department, at the event. The students came in separate groups along with other CIM personnel.
"The students worked our booth, they attended a minimum of two seminars, they worked the auctions (registration, distributing fliers), they walked the show and they took resumes and business cards," Brown said, adding that they wore distinctive MTSU-blue concrete industry shirts with the CIM and MTSU logos.
Brown said the program now requires that students pay $100 toward trip expenses to show "ownership investment, and we pick up the rest." Also, the program pays about $12,000 a year for students' textbooks because "a lot (of textbooks) are not traditional textbooks," she said.
While in Las Vegas, the MTSU contingent sold $100 vouchers for a miniature model of the MTSU Ready Mix truck. The unique models will be mailed to the buyers.
"We like to create the aura of a collector series, so we change up the models each year," Brown said. "We keep the blue and silver color scheme, but the trucks are numbered with an imprint on the front."
This year, MTSU had luggage tags as one of its giveaway booth items, she said.
The program has a busy spring, full of recruiting socials by companies in the industry. A group social will be held Thursday, April 17, at the MTSU Foundation House on Thompson Lane.
MTSU's CIM program unofficially has 434 students--375 actual majors and nearly 50 freshmen undeclared.
An MTSU foundation:
SILVER SERVICE--Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for enrollment services, accepts congratulations from President Sidney A. McPhee as he presents her with the President's Silver Column Award. The faculty/staff honor, given for extraordinary service to the university, is a silver pin with MTSU blue inlays, representing the shape of the columns on the Kirksey Old Main building. "Your spirit is such that I wish we had hundreds of Sherian Huddlestons. I'm a committee of one, and I basically look for employees who go above and beyond the call of duty," McPhee told Huddleston, adding that the award was designed specifically to represent a foundation, "something that holds things up--and without the column, things crumble." Huddleston, who will celebrate 35 years with the university this July, was asked to attend a meeting in the president's office, where the award was revealed. "Thank you so much," she responded. "This is a surprise; I had no idea. I brought my note pad!" Huddleston is the fourth recipient of the Silver Column. Her predecessors include Suma Clark, director of publications and graphics; the late Dr. Charles Wolfe, noted folklorist, author and professor of English; and Larry Sizemore, supervisor of ground services.
photo by J. Intintoli PDF-page 4
Youth Writers' Camp to guide 'purpose for writing';
open to students in 5 Midstate counties in 3 locations
by Claire Rogers
MTSU's Department of Elementary and Special Education will again conduct the Youth Writers' Camp in June for students who have completed grades four through 12.
The camp will be held on the MTSU campus Monday through Thursday, June 9-19, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Students in the city of Murfreesboro and in Rutherford and Bedford County schools are welcome to attend the session.
The Youth Writers' Camp is led by local teachers who encourage students to use effective techniques in their writing, said Dr. Bobbie Solley, professor of elementary and special education. She added that she hopes the camp will replace traditional, state-assessment-based instruction with teaching that fosters creativity.
"Good writing comes from self-selected topics for a real purpose and an authentic audience," Solley said. "Once students are comfortable and confident in their own writing, then the genre of prompt writing can be taught."
Participants also will be instructed about good writing choices, the importance of conferencing and what genres will work best with their own writing styles.
Students can expect to leave with the knowledge that they are writers with a story to tell.
"We want them to think about the purpose for writing and the audience they will write to," Solley said.
Other Youth Writers' Camps will be held on the same dates in different locations across middle Tennessee. These camps will welcome students who have completed fourth through eighth grades and will run from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
In Cannon County, the program will be held at the Woodbury Grammar School. The Williamson County camp is located at Longview Elementary School and is open to residents of Williamson and Maury County.
Those whose children wish to apply for the program should contact Solley or Angela Pope by telephone at 615-898-5934 or via e-mail at bsolley@ mtsu.edu or pope_a@att.net.
This summer program is part of the National Writing Project, which sponsors similar events across the country to improve the state of writing through quality instruction.
Celebrating community service
SONG OF THANKS--The "unsung heroes" of the community pose with their honors Feb. 6 before MTSU's annual Unity Luncheon. From left are 2008 honorees Cornell Bingham of Murfreesboro, Head Start preschool teacher and member of Walnut Grove Missionary Baptist Church; Charlie King Jr. of Murfreesboro, treasurer of Cedar Grove Primitive Baptist Church and a 35-year employee of the Veterans Administration; guest speaker Smyrna City Judge Keta Barnes, the first African-American female judge elected in Rutherford County; Mary Glass of Murfreesboro, a longtime MTSU Business Office clerk, radio host and director of the Women's Ministry program at Cherry Grove Missionary Baptist Church; and Verna Bonner of Cowan, Tenn., who is active in New Hope Church of God in Christ and works with the local adult literacy and family abuse survivors programs.
photo by Andy Heidt PDF-page 5
'Grading the graders' to change in fall '08
by Gina K. Logue
The Pedagogy Task Force has been disbanded, having completed its charge of finding ways to improve teaching across campus. Now the newly established Ad Hoc Pedagogy/Student Evaluation of Faculty Instrument Committee will focus on the successful implementation of the new instrument beginning this fall.
The task force has worked since fall 2003 on ways to give students opportunities to give their professors a fuller, more holistic and more nuanced review than the one currently available. Members have presented their findings to the deans' cabinet, the chairs' council, the Faculty Senate and representatives of various colleges and departments.
Under the leadership of Dr. Vic Montemayor, professor of physics and astronomy, the task force received overwhelmingly positive response to an instrument developed at the University of California at Berkeley. One hundred percent of faculty volunteers, 100 percent of deans and chairs and 76 percent of students felt that the Berkeley-designed questionnaire was superior to the one currently in use at MTSU.
The current student evaluation calls for ratings of "almost always," "usually," "rarely," "never," or "not applicable" to statements such as "course requirements are clear," "the class begins at scheduled times," and "instructor presents material clearly."
Under the Berkeley model, more than 30 statements are divided into categories of "Presentation Ability," "Organization and Clarity," "Assignments and Grading," "Intellectual and Scholarly Approach," "Incorporation of Student Interaction," "Motivating the Students" and "Effectiveness and Worth."
Students will be asked to disagree or agree on a scale of one (disagree) to five (agree) with statements such as "has a genuine interest in students," "lectures easy to outline or case discussion well organized," "gives assignments and exams that are reasonable in length and difficulty," "discusses recent developments in the field," "invites criticism of own ideas" and "motivates me to do my best work."
"We're actually quite excited about the positive aspects of the new proposed teaching evaluation instrument, because it not only offers meaningful constructive criticism but also an avenue toward improvement," says Michael Fleming, assistant professor of recording industry and former task force co-chair.
The Learning, Teaching and Innovative Technologies Center is developing workshops to instruct faculty members in ways to improve their classroom performance based, in part, on the new evaluation. These workshops are to be ready by the time the first results from the new instrument are available.
The Berkeley model already was in use by the MTSU mentoring program, but Montemayor says that fact had no impact on the task force's proposals.
The faculty evaluations will be administered in the traditional manner, in the classroom with bubble sheets, but the reporting of the results to faculty will be online.
Wendy Koenig, assistant professor of art and former task force co-chair, notes that the professors' scores will be expressed as true percentiles of scores in their own department, college or university. The numbers also will be tracked longitudinally so that trends over time can be analyzed.
For complete information, including graphs and charts, go to http://mtsu.edu/~vjm/Teaching/Task_Force/task_force.html and click on the "Pilot Study" link.
Mini Baja, maximum performance
GOOD POINT--MTSU's Mini Baja Team members pose at the Mid-South Chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers' annual Student Night after earning second place with a PowerPoint presentation of their accomplishments and challenges from 2007 and their plans for 2008. From left are Jordan Wolpert, faculty adviser Dr. Saeed Foroudastan, Jeremy Murdock, Cody Murdock, Brett Denton, Cory Randles, George Menzies, Bob Warner and David O'Brien. Menzies prepared the award-winning PowerPoint and team leader O'Brien presented it at the Feb. 7 event. The MTSU team will compete with Mini Baja and Formula vehicles in a water competition at Tennessee Tech May 1-3 and the Montreal Competition hosted by Ecole de Technologie Superieure June 11-14.
photo submitted
Spring 2008 student population jumps 1.65%
from Staff Reports
A headcount of 21,648 students enrolled at MTSU this spring semester was submitted to the Tennessee Board of Regents Feb. 12, said Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for enrollment services.
The spring enrollment is an increase of 352 students--or 1.65 percent--from the spring 2007 census submitted to TBR, she added. The TBR's 14-day census period ended Jan. 27. There were 21,296 students enrolled for spring classes in 2007.
The census reporting was delayed about 17 days because of software updates, Huddleston said.
MTSU continues to see an increase in re-enrolling students, she added. This semester, there are 1,225 re-enrollees--116 more than in 2007 when there were 1,109.
Join the celebration! American Indian Festival set March 1-2
by Gina K. Logue
The most colorful, vibrant celebration of Native American culture in the state will return to the MTSU campus when the eighth All Nations American Indian Festival comes to the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Drive, on Saturday and Sunday, March 1-2.
The largest event of its kind in the state, the festival features music, exhibition dancing, arts and crafts, storytelling, skills demonstrations and a native drum competition.
"Festival participants travel to gatherings like ours to celebrate their heritage, their culture, their language and each other," says Georgia Dennis, festival coordinator.
Some of the creative talents who are slated to attend the festival's Indian Arts Market include Ron Colombe (Sicangu Lakota/ Rosebud Sioux), a spoken-word artist, narrator poet and published author; Nelson Garcia, an award-winning gold- and silversmith from Santo Domingo Pueblo; Percy Medina (Quecha/Peru), whose hand-carved gourds are on display in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; and General Grant (Cherokee), who develops both contemporary and traditional jewelry, as well as Cherokee carvings and sculpture.
"Every festival is a little different," Dennis says. "This festival doesn't have an agenda--it's nonpolitical. It's more of a traditional celebration. Everybody feels welcome here."
The All Nations American Indian Festival is sponsored by the MT Anthropology Society, the MTSU Anthropology Program, the MTSU Department of English, Student Unions and Programming/Fine Arts and the Baha'i Association. However, scores of volunteer students, alumni, professors and community members help to make the powwow possible. All proceeds remaining after expenses go into a scholarship fund.
The doors will open at 10 a.m. both days. The Grand Entry and Parade of Nations are slated for noon and 6 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday. Daily admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-12; toddlers will be admitted free. Weekend passes are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets and passes are sold at the door only. Plenty of free parking will be available.
For more information, contact Dennis at 615-796-4210, send an e-mail to powwow@mtsu.edu or visit the Web site at www.mtsu.edu/powwow.
Show your wisdom: apply for OWLs scholarships before Feb. 29
Students are always looking for scholarships, and the Older Wiser Learners student organization may be the place to search!
The OWLs student organization has 10 OWLs Academic Service Scholarships, two OWLs Enrichment Scholarships and two other privately endowed scholarships for seniors--one in elementary education and the other for a female who has undergone recent life changes that have brought her back to school to complete a degree.
These scholarships were created because the OWLs president made a special request of the president of MTSU some years ago. The OWLs president argued that some scholarship money ought to be available to the adult learners on campus, not just to incoming high-school seniors. The university president agreed, and the Office of Financial Aid set up the special scholarships.
One of the criteria is that the applicants be members of the OWLs student organization. OWLs members recently received reminders about the scholarships and the Friday, Feb. 29, application deadline.
"We're now sending this message out to all students who are 24 years of age and older whom we consider to be 'adult learners,'" said Dr. Carol Ann Baily, director of Off-Campus Student Services. "If you are not already an OWLs members and you qualify for one of the OWLs scholarships, I would suggest that you become an OWLs member and apply online before Feb. 29 for the scholarship that meets your GPA and situation."
To learn more about the criteria for each scholarship, visit www.mtsu.edu/~owls/scholar.htm. Then, to apply online, click on the supplied link or go to www.mtsu.edu/~owls/scholarapply.htm.
Don't forget that you must be an OWLs member to apply for the scholarships. To join the organization, visit www.mtsu.edu/~owls/owlsform.htm.
The final step is the registration fee. Bring $20 for a one-year OWLs membership to the Off-Campus Student Services office in Room 320 of the Keathley University Center, or mail it to Off-Campus Student Services, MTSU Box 646, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132.
If you have any questions, please e-mail Baily at cabaily@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-5989.
People Around Campus:
Child Care Lab providing secure, smart playground
by Gina K. Logue
Tucked away in a nondescript corner of the campus is a sunny collection of vivid colors and smiling faces with the uncharacteristically sterile name of the MTSU Child Care Lab.
For students, faculty and staff who have children, it is a haven that enables those parents to pursue school or work without worrying about their youngsters' welfare.
"We spend countless hours on trying to plan and make sure that the children have things that are appropriate for their age and make it interesting for them and safe and nurturing," says Anita Nicholson, who has worked at the lab on Womack Lane for seven years.
In fact, each child's day is a mixture of self-directed activities, teacher-directed activities and gross motor play with time for lunch, snacks and a midday nap. The children are not separated by age.
"The purpose of this curriculum is not just academic--colors, numbers, letters, preparation for kindergarten--but, at this age, it's just as important to get them ready for the social skills, learning to be in a group setting, learning how to share, learning how to follow directions, maybe more than one direction at a time," says Nancy James, director of the lab, who has been there for 19 years.
James says the lab was created in 1981 with the blessing of then-MTSU President Sam Ingram, who insisted that students be able to use it as a learning experience. Students who work in the lab or write about it for class papers typically major in nursing, early childhood education, social work, psychology or speech and hearing.
The teachers are looking forward to the lab's 30-year anniversary, which will coincide with the university's centennial in 2011. James says dignitaries, parents and children, past and present, will be invited to a reception at which they will be treated to a slideshow to relive the memories.
While notoriously low pay and high turnover are associated with the child care profession, the kids at the MTSU Child Care Lab are fortunate to be in the hands of three capable veterans. In addition to Nicholson and James, there's Zona Frazier, who has wiped runny noses and brought stories to life for tiny tykes for 23 years.
"We like to think they're learning while playing," Frazier says. "The money will not keep you here. Trust me. You have to love what you do."
The kids love what their teachers do, too, and they remember it well into adulthood. Frazier says former students come back to visit at each April's graduation ceremony. Word-of-mouth is the only advertising necessary.
In addition to the stability and qualifications of the personnel, the lab's major selling point is its three-star rating, the highest grade the state of Tennessee issues to such facilities.
"My son has been a student at the day care for almost two years, and he provides the best testimony," says Dr. Karen Petersen, assistant professor of political science. "He loves going to school and does not appreciate the long (semester) breaks! The teachers at the day care are not only highly qualified; they love the children. We tried other day cares, and there is no comparison."
The lab is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round except when classes are not in session. It is licensed by the state for children ages 3 to 5.
Parents pay a flat fee of $102 a week if their youngster attends five days a week. Those whose kids attend on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays pay $61, and those whose youngsters attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays are charged $41.
Priority is given to students who need child care in the fall and spring semesters on either a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule or a Tuesday-Thursday schedule. Those who need child care five days a week are given second priority. The order of priority is reversed in the summer semester.
For more information about the MTSU Child Care Lab, contact James at 615-898-2970 or njames@mtsu.edu.
STORY TIME--Lindsey Futrell, a teacher's aide at the MTSU Child Care Lab, accepts a book from Jelyce Fugate as the group prepares for story time. Waiting to hear the stories are, seated from left, Alex Keasler, Wil Lynn, and Benjamin McCrary. Reading time is just one part of the busy schedule at the Child Care Lab.
photo by News and Public Affairs
Everything's coming up roses
FLOWER FOCUS--A successful plant biotechnology project brings MTSU's "mini-rose team" together to discuss their new creations and the original rose bush that provided the clippings. Team members are, from left, Bhawana Bhawana, professional science master's candidate; Dr. Bruce Cahoon, assistant biology professor; Nadiar Yakob, first-year grad student; Brad Wright, junior plant and soil science major; and professional science master's candidate Bill Smith. For details of the project, please click.
photo by News and Public Affairs
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  Campus Calendar - February 25, 2008, V16.16
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Campus Calendar Feb. 11-24
TV Schedule: "Middle Tennessee Record"
Cable Channel 9: Monday-Sunday-7 a.m., 5 p.m.; NewsChannel 5+: Sundays-1:30 p.m.
Visit www.mtsunews.com for other cable outlet airtimes.
Through Feb. 28
"Maine Women: Living on the Land": Photo exhibit by Lauren Shaw
Baldwin Photo Gallery, Learning Resource Center
For information, contact: 615-898-2085.
Monday, Feb. 11
Faculty Senate Meeting
4:30 p.m., JUB 100
For information, contact: 615-898-2582.
Faculty Horn Recital: Angela DeBoer
7 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Tuesday, Feb. 12
Women's Tennis
10 a.m., Belmont; 5 p.m., Chattanooga; Murfreesboro Racquet Club
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Tornado Siren Test Date
12:20 p.m., campuswide
For information, contact: 615-898-2424.
Black History Month: A(Wearness) Runway Project
6 p.m., JUB Tennessee Room For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
Presidential Concert Series: Read Gainsford
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Wednesday, Feb. 13
Faculty Brown-Bag Lunch: "Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos"
11:30 a.m., Walker Library 475
For information, contact: wblack@mtsu.edu.
Wednesday, Feb. 13
Black History Month: John Pleas Faculty Award
4-6 p.m., Tom Jackson Building
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
Thursday, Feb. 14
Retired Faculty/Staff Coffee
9:30 a.m., Foundation House
For information, contact: 615-898-5756.
MT Basketball Mardi Gras Night vs. South Alabama:
Women, 5:30 p.m.; men, 7:30 p.m.
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Feb. 15-16 and 20-23
MTSU Theatre: "Baby"
7:30 p.m., Tucker Theatre
For information, contact: 615-898-2640.
Saturday, Feb. 16
Men's Basketball vs. Western Kentucky (ESPN Regional)
3 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Sunday, Feb. 17
Women's Basketball vs. Western Kentucky(ESPN Regional/Think Pink Event)
2 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Sunday, Feb. 17
MTSU Concert Chorale/ Middle Tenn. Choral Society
3 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Brass Chamber Ensemble
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Feb. 18-19
Black History Month: "The Meeting: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X"
7:30 p.m., BDA 101
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
Monday, Feb. 18
Black History Month: Reflections on the "Jena 6" Protest: Film and Discussion
4-5:30 p.m., CKNB N116
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
MTSU Jazz Ensembles
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Wednesday, Feb. 20
Black History Month: Felony Disenfranchisement and the Right to Vote in Tennessee
12:30-2 p.m., CKNB 121
Black History Month: Black History Quiz Bowl
5:30 p.m., location TBA
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
Wednesday, Feb. 20
Guest Flute Recital: Deborah Harris
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Thursday, Feb. 21
Women's Studies Research Series: Dr. Yuan-ling Chao,
"Poetry and Footbinding: Women in Late Imperial China"
3 p.m., JUB 100
For information, contact: 615-898-5282.
Black History Month: Dr. Nikki Giovanni,
"Race in the 21st Century"
7 p.m., LRC 221
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
MTSU Symphonic Band/Brass Ensemble
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Feb. 23-24
MT Softball: Middle Tennessee Classic
Feb. 23: 1 p.m., UT Martin; 5 p.m., Belmont;
Feb. 24: 11 a.m., Southern Illinois; consolation/championship, 3 p.m.
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Submit your campus event calendar items (at least three weeks in advance of the event, please) to gfann@mtsu.edu or via fax to 615-898-5714.
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